Here are 69 books that Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging fans have personally recommended if you like Mayo Clinic on Healthy Aging. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Still Alice

Dana Lynn Bernstein Author Of It's the Thought That Counts: Mastering the Art of YOU vs. you

From my list on rediscovering your self is the reward we all seek.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a conflict resolution coach. I have a master's degree in conflict and am an ICF professional coach. I like my clients to live “clean” between their ears—even when life is not going their way. My book is light and fun. Deep and meaningful. And a flashlight to help those who are in the clouds of conflict get “good with themself.” Conflict becomes less scary when you identify the words that caused the issue. There is no use surviving a bad situation and then replaying it over and over again. Keeping the past alive in your mind keeps the past alive. Bury it with honor and grace.  

Dana's book list on rediscovering your self is the reward we all seek

Dana Lynn Bernstein Why Dana loves this book

You cannot help what your body or the chemistry of the mind does. And the journey of self-acceptance, the love of the family around her, and the understanding this could happen to any of us is a reality.

I felt for the characters and was slowly led down the path of the horrors of losing your memory. It was a steady decline, and I felt every feeling with each page turn.

By Lisa Genova ,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Still Alice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A moving story of a woman with early onset Alzheimer's disease, now a major Academy Award-winning film starring Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart.

Alice Howland is proud of the life she worked so hard to build. At fifty, she's a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard and a renowned expert in linguistics, with a successful husband and three grown children. When she begins to grow forgetful and disoriented, she dismisses it for as long as she can until a tragic diagnosis changes her life - and her relationship with her family and the world around her - for ever.

Unable to…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Learning to Speak Alzheimer's: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease

Sharon Ricardi Author Of The Future of Alzheimer's

From my list on deepen your understanding of life past age fifty.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am passionate about aging in America. I was honored to be in health care for over 40 years; I was a leader in home care and hospital systems and was there at the birth of the assisted living movement, now so respected. I specialized in Alzheimer’s as it is the least understood common disease of seniors, one that evokes misery if not handled properly. I started the first Alzheimer’s training for homecare aides in the 90’s. In positions such as Senior Vice President of Northbridge Companies and President of Northbridge Advisory Services, I became an advocate for dementia education, advanced care, and programs for the financially challenged. 

Sharon's book list on deepen your understanding of life past age fifty

Sharon Ricardi Why Sharon loves this book

Over the years, I’m often asked to recommend books for caregivers about Alzheimer’s or memory loss in general. I often hesitated because so many books are so dreadfully depressing and clinical. In particular, some older books are not in keeping with the more contemporary views on a disease, which is, yes, a cruel and unrelenting villain, but there is hope to be found.

This book showcases many years of experience with thousands of people on the same journey, the opposite of the many books out there that just tell one person’s story. If I have learned anything, it is that all people with Alzheimer’s are different and experience this disease differently.

The late, great Joanne, from whom I got my dementia certification, has a much more useful and uplifting approach for families and friends of those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It's a classic. 

By Joanne Koenig Coste ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Learning to Speak Alzheimer's as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A guide to more successful communication for the millions of Americans caring for someone with dementia: “Offers a fresh approach and hope.”—NPR

Revolutionizing the way we perceive and live with Alzheimer’s, Joanne Koenig Coste offers a practical approach to the emotional well-being of both patients and caregivers that emphasizes relating to patients in their own reality. Her accessible and comprehensive method, which she calls habilitation, works to enhance communication between carepartners and patients and has proven successful with thousands of people living with dementia.

Learning to Speak Alzheimer’s also offers hundreds of practical tips, including how to
-Cope with the…


Book cover of This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods That Fight Depression, Anxiety, Ptsd, Ocd, Adhd, and More

Sharon Ricardi Author Of The Future of Alzheimer's

From my list on deepen your understanding of life past age fifty.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am passionate about aging in America. I was honored to be in health care for over 40 years; I was a leader in home care and hospital systems and was there at the birth of the assisted living movement, now so respected. I specialized in Alzheimer’s as it is the least understood common disease of seniors, one that evokes misery if not handled properly. I started the first Alzheimer’s training for homecare aides in the 90’s. In positions such as Senior Vice President of Northbridge Companies and President of Northbridge Advisory Services, I became an advocate for dementia education, advanced care, and programs for the financially challenged. 

Sharon's book list on deepen your understanding of life past age fifty

Sharon Ricardi Why Sharon loves this book

In my research on Alzheimer’s, I was amazed at how many ways there are to modify your risk of having Alzheimer’s or reduce the severity of the symptoms. It became clear that lifestyle changes were key to controlling our own health regarding keeping our brain healthy and our body in sync with it.

I wanted to take my knowledge of food beyond just the familiar recommendations of following a Mediterranean diet and eating less meat. I found this book did indeed bring an understanding of not just long-term effects but also how to eat for more immediate relief of depression, poor sleeping habits, lack of energy, and so forth. 

As I continued researching the role diet plays, I found this book by a respected Harvard-trained doctor who combines her nutrition research with her experience as a professional chef with her degree in Psychiatry. This combination allows her to inform and…

By Uma Naidoo ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked This Is Your Brain on Food as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Eat for your mental health and learn the fascinating science behind nutrition with this "must-read" guide from an expert psychiatrist (Amy Myers, MD).

Did you know that blueberries can help you cope with the aftereffects of trauma? That salami can cause depression, or that boosting Vitamin D intake can help treat anxiety?
When it comes to diet, most people's concerns involve weight loss, fitness, cardiac health, and longevity. But what we eat affects more than our bodies; it also affects our brains. And recent studies have shown that diet can have a profound impact on mental health conditions ranging from…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Fourth Quarter of Your Life: Embracing What Matters Most

Sharon Ricardi Author Of The Future of Alzheimer's

From my list on deepen your understanding of life past age fifty.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am passionate about aging in America. I was honored to be in health care for over 40 years; I was a leader in home care and hospital systems and was there at the birth of the assisted living movement, now so respected. I specialized in Alzheimer’s as it is the least understood common disease of seniors, one that evokes misery if not handled properly. I started the first Alzheimer’s training for homecare aides in the 90’s. In positions such as Senior Vice President of Northbridge Companies and President of Northbridge Advisory Services, I became an advocate for dementia education, advanced care, and programs for the financially challenged. 

Sharon's book list on deepen your understanding of life past age fifty

Sharon Ricardi Why Sharon loves this book

While I am not quite into the fourth quarter of my life, I am not far, and as a baby boomer and one in the senior living field, the topic of aging comes up all the time with similarly aged friends, coworkers, and relatives.

We all feel the same way—we don’t want to be helpless bystanders in determining how the last 25 years of our lives will look. We all know people in their 70’s and 80’s who are remarkable; mentally and physically fit, with active, happy, purposeful lives. We also know many who seem so much older than their actual age and who represent our worst fears of aging. But there are so many charlatans looking for desperate or gullible people to spend their money on anti-aging trends that may as well be snake oil for all of their worth.

This is the book I was thrilled to finally…

By Allen R. Hunt , Matthew Kelly ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Fourth Quarter of Your Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Whether you are in the fourth quarter of life or not, this book will change the way you live the rest of your life.

Intentionality is the key to successful fourth quarter living. People don’t accidentally age gracefully. People don’t accidentally die peacefully. And people don’t accidentally leave behind legacies of hope, love, and encouragement. These all require the intentionality this book will help you develop.

The purpose of this practical guide is to help you...

Live the fourth quarter based on proven life principles Clearly establish meaning and direction for your life Develop the clarity necessary to make good…


Book cover of A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman: A Memoir

Sarah Boon Author Of Meltdown

From my list on science memoirs written by women.

Why am I passionate about this?

My interest in women in science started 18 years ago, when I became a tenure-track assistant professor. I began to experience the difficulties of being a woman in science in my new position. I knew there must be a reason for it. I read everything I could find on the role of women, not just in science but in society. I’ve been reading and writing about it since then, and while some progress has been made, there’s still a long way to go. The books on this list are a good start, giving readers a sense of how long women have been fighting for equality and what we can do to move things forward. 

Sarah's book list on science memoirs written by women

Sarah Boon Why Sarah loves this book

I enjoyed the arc of Elkins-Tanton’s life because it wasn’t all spent in science. She showed how her few years in business and teaching math at a college after her MSc gave her skills helpful for doing her PhD.

I particularly liked the insights she provided into being a woman in an executive position and the ways in which she had to learn to serve her research community. It is rare for a woman to reach these administrative levels, so it’s highly valuable to get the inside scoop about it.

I was also struck by her innovative techniques in teaching and research in planetary science—we have much to learn from her approach. 

By Lindy Elkins-Tanton ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From one of the world’s leading planetary scientists, a luminous memoir of exploration on Earth, in space, and within oneself—equal parts ode to the beauty of science, meditation on loss, and roadmap for personal resilience

"Fierce, absorbing, and ultimately inspiring." —ELIZABETH KOLBERT

"[A] riveting book, beautifully written." —Washington Post

Named a Best Book of the Year by Christian Science Monitor and Science News

Deep in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, three times farther from the sun than the Earth is, orbits a massive asteroid called (16) Psyche. It is one of the largest objects in the belt, potentially…


Book cover of How to Care for Aging Parents: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues

Iris Waichler Author Of Role Reversal: How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents

From my list on caregiving and the challenges it brings.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a medical social worker for over 40 years working with people who have had a catastrophic illness. I counseled them and their family members. Because of this experience, I have a lot of knowledge, experience, and training regarding the challenges caregivers face. In addition, I was the primary caregiver for my parents and helped take care of 2 friends helping them to die with dignity. Finally, I am the author of an 8-time award-winning book called Role Reversal How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents. I have written hundreds of articles on health-related topics including aging and caregiving.

Iris' book list on caregiving and the challenges it brings

Iris Waichler Why Iris loves this book

Virginia Morris has been a leading expert in the field of aging and caregiving. I have high respect for her experience and her work. This book is a comprehensive guide that explores emotional, psychological, and physical challenges that arise when the ultimate role reversal happens. It is a difficult transition for all concerned and this resource offers great information, tips, and scenarios that will resonate with all caregivers. 

By Virginia Morris ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Care for Aging Parents as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The book that answers all the questions you hoped you’d never have to ask.

Hailed as “an excellent resource” by the Family Caregiver Alliance, How to Care for Aging Parents is an indispensable source of information and support.

Now completely revised and updated, this compassionate, comprehensive caregiver’s bible tackles all the touch subjects, from how to avoid becoming your parent’s “parent,” to understanding what happens to the body in old age, to getting help finding, and paying for, a nursing home.

When love is not enough—and regrettably, it never is—this is the essential guide.

Help for every difficult issue:

Knowing…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of The Successful Caregiver’s Guide

Iris Waichler Author Of Role Reversal: How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents

From my list on caregiving and the challenges it brings.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a medical social worker for over 40 years working with people who have had a catastrophic illness. I counseled them and their family members. Because of this experience, I have a lot of knowledge, experience, and training regarding the challenges caregivers face. In addition, I was the primary caregiver for my parents and helped take care of 2 friends helping them to die with dignity. Finally, I am the author of an 8-time award-winning book called Role Reversal How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents. I have written hundreds of articles on health-related topics including aging and caregiving.

Iris' book list on caregiving and the challenges it brings

Iris Waichler Why Iris loves this book

Rick Lauber is another caregiving expert that I turn to for information and advice when I was a caregiver. This book is jam-packed with practical guidelines, tips, and resources for caregivers. It helps caregivers assess their needs and what care options are available to them as they care for the needs of their loved one changes and their ability to be a caregiver also changes. 

By Rick Lauber ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Successful Caregiver’s Guide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

You may be among the tens of millions of Americans who provide care for your parent — or you may be among the ten of millions who will. So many children are caught unprepared when physical and mental health declines in aging parents. Life cannot readily prepare you to furnish excellent eldercare while balancing the demands on your time. This book provides practical tips, realistic guidance, encouragement and insight into the time ahead. Among other things, it answers: • How do you decide when your parent stays at home or moves to assisted living? • What should you expect when…


Book cover of Last Laughs: Cartoons About Aging, Retirement ... and the Great Beyond

Barbara Katz Rothman Author Of A Bun in the Oven: How the Food and Birth Movements Resist Industrialization

From my list on death and dying.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been writing about birth for decades – how it became a medical process, managed by a surgical specialty in a factory-like setting. I’ve worked with contemporary midwives who are trying to reclaim birth, to move it back home, back to physiological and loving care. And over and over again, I see the similarities to the other gate of life – how death and dying also left home and went into the hospital, where people die, as they birth, pretty much alone – with perhaps a ‘visitor’ allowed. Covid made it worse – but in birth and death, it allowed the hospitals to return to what medicine considered essential: medical procedures, not human connections. 

Barbara's book list on death and dying

Barbara Katz Rothman Why Barbara loves this book

There was a death in my family years back, and somehow after a long and wrenching day at the hospital, we were sitting around my dining room table at a late-night long-delayed dinner – and we were laughing. My brother came into the kitchen, worried about the children present: what were they learning? I answered: They’re learning how to bury us. Death, even death – and I am heavily grieving a loss right now – can be a moment for laughter, the sheer absurdity of life, the grief and sorrow expressed in crying and in laughing. There are other good books that do this, that take a more intellectual approach – but honestly, I admire the chutzpah of Greenberg editing a book of cartoons on death. 

The range is from the silly, the grim reaper at the door introducing the fat lady, ‘here to sing for you,' to ones that…

By Mort Gerberg ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Last Laughs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A volume of previously unpublished cartoons by top industry names celebrates the wayward experiences of the baby boomer generation with contributions by such artists as Leo Cullum, Jack Ziegler, and Lee Lorenz. 50,000 first printing.


Book cover of Oxygen: The Molecule that Made the World

Neil W. Blackstone Author Of Energy and Evolutionary Conflict: The Metabolic Roots of Cooperation

From my list on bioenergetics or how life makes a living.

Why am I passionate about this?

Evolution is the most general theory of biology that we have. I seek to employ evolutionary principles to provide a predictive framework for both current ecological interactions and interactions that occurred earlier in the history of life. A generation ago, the study of cooperation was revolutionized by the deceptively simple notion of “follow the genes.” Embracing another simple notion—follow the electrons—can have an equally large effect in illuminating cooperation. Connecting evolutionary biology to biochemistry, however, remains a challenge—many evolutionary biologists dislike biochemistry and are much more comfortable with the informational aspects of life (e.g., genes). The below “best books on bioenergetics” can help to bridge this gap.

Neil's book list on bioenergetics or how life makes a living

Neil W. Blackstone Why Neil loves this book

A comprehensive and very readable biography of oxygen, its scientific study, and its role in the history of life on Earth. 

The “big picture” view is grounded in numerous anecdotes of individual scientists’ work. The relevant scientific history blends nicely with the history of life. Throughout, we see oxygen generated by oxygenic photosynthesis, consumed by oxidative phosphorylation, with leftovers drifting up into the atmosphere to eventually produce the planet that supports human civilization and much else besides.

By Nick Lane ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Oxygen as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Oxygen has had extraordinary effects on life. Three hundred million years ago, in Carboniferous times, dragonflies grew as big as seagulls, with wingspans of nearly a metre. Researchers claim they could have flown only if the air had contained more oxygen than today - probably as much as 35 per cent. Giant spiders, tree-ferns, marine rock formations and fossil charcoals all tell the same story. High oxygen levels may also explain the global firestorm that contributed to the demise of the dinosaurs after the asteroid impact. The strange and profound effects that oxygen has had on the evolution of life…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of When Your Aging Parent Needs Help: A Geriatrician's Step-by-Step Guide to Memory Loss, Resistance, Safety Worries, & More

Star Bradbury Author Of Successfully Navigating Your Parents' Senior Years: Critical Information to Maximize Their Independence and Make Sure They Get the Care They Need

From my list on helping you or your loved ones age successfully.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have worked in senior living for over 25 years. I was the administrative director of both an assisted living facility as well as a memory care facility and then I worked for over 18 years in one of the top national Life Care Communities in the country. During this time, I helped thousands of families navigate the complex and confusing world of senior living. I wrote my book to help families make educated and informed decisions and know what they could do before a crisis! It is not if your parents will need help, it is when! I am passionate about passing on the knowledge of my years in this field. 

Star's book list on helping you or your loved ones age successfully

Star Bradbury Why Star loves this book

Dr. Kernisan is a well-known geriatrician who writes an educational newsletter that is as useful as her book!

She has years of expertise on dealing with all kinds of senior health issues and concerns. Excellent book for any caregiver! She covers a wide range of critical things to know if you are caring for an elder loved one that I can’t recommend this book enough!

By Leslie Kernisan , Paula Spencer Scott ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked When Your Aging Parent Needs Help as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It’s scary and stressful when it happens…. noticing changes in your parent and becoming increasingly worried about their health and safety. Maybe it’s Mom leaving the stove on, Dad getting lost on his way home, or unpaid bills that trigger this realization. Or perhaps there have been falls or emergency room visits. Whatever it is, you know something’s wrong. You wonder about a diagnosis. And you want your aging parent to accept help, or perhaps move.

Helping an older parent can be gratifying. But it’s especially hard if they’re blowing off your concerns, refusing to make changes, or otherwise resisting…


Book cover of Still Alice
Book cover of Learning to Speak Alzheimer's: A Groundbreaking Approach for Everyone Dealing with the Disease
Book cover of This Is Your Brain on Food: An Indispensable Guide to the Surprising Foods That Fight Depression, Anxiety, Ptsd, Ocd, Adhd, and More

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Interested in ageing, seniors, and family?

Ageing 58 books
Seniors 36 books
Family 4,488 books